The Department of the Navy (DON) and Silicon Ranch Corporation signed a real estate outgrant April 18 to develop a large-scale solar facility at Naval Support Activity (NSA) Mid-South in Millington, Tennessee.

The NSA Mid-South solar facility will occupy 72 acres of base land for 37 years and have an estimated capacity of 12 megawatts (MW) of direct current (DC) power (9 MW alternating current (AC)). Silicon Ranch Corporation will also develop the adjoining 330 acres from the Millington Industrial Development Board (MIDB) for an additional 56.5 MW of DC power (44 MW AC).

The combined 68.5-MW DC (53-MW AC) facility will be the state's largest producing solar power for Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) customers, including NSA Mid-South, at cost-competitive rates.

Commanding officer of NSA Mid-South Capt. David Bryson stressed the importance of the solar facility. "This solar facility helps NSA Mid-South progress toward our goal of becoming the Navy's premier support installation through maintaining excellence in our facilities and services. Increased energy resilience allows Navy personnel residing in the community to focus on the mission-managing the Navy's most important asset, its people, from recruitment to retirement."

Silicon Ranch Corporation will fund, construct, own and operate the solar facilities at NSA Mid-South and the adjoining land.

Silicon Ranch President and CEO Matt Kisber said, "Silicon Ranch is honored to partner with the Department of the Navy, TVA and MIDB to deliver cost-effective, clean energy to serve NSA Mid-South. We remain focused on the economic, environmental and community benefits this project brings to TVA's ratepayers, to the city of Millington and surrounding communities, and to the thousands of Tennesseans associated with the NSA Mid-South facility."

The project was made possible through a long-term power purchase agreement with TVA to produce solar energy at cost-competitive rates over the next 20 years.

"The NSA Mid-South solar installation reflects TVA's ongoing commitment to a diversified, cleaner energy mix that best serves the power needs of local power companies and the 9 million residents of the Tennessee Valley," said TVA Executive Vice President and Chief External Relations Officer Van Wardlaw.

NSA Mid-South serves as the Navy's Human Resources Center of Excellence. Headquartered aboard NSA Mid-South are the Navy Personnel Command, Navy Recruiting Command, Navy Manpower Analysis Center and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Finance Center. More than 7,500 military, civilian and contract personnel are assigned to work on base.

The parties will hold a groundbreaking ceremony at NSA Mid-South on Earth Day, April 22, and anticipate the NSA Mid-South solar facility to be operational by mid-year 2018.

For more information on Silicon Ranch Corporation, visit www.siliconranchcorp.com.

For more information on TVA, visit www.tva.gov.